Literacy rate, adult female in Uganda

Uganda: Literacy rate, adult female was 73.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
73.5%
Change on year
down 2.8%
World rank
60th
of 89 countries
All-time high
75.6%
in 2023
All-time low
44.8%
in 1991
Years of data
10
1991–2024

Literacy rate, adult female in Uganda, 1991–2024

0204060801991200720241991: 44.8 % of females ages 15 and above2002: 58.9 % of females ages 15 and above2006: 62.1 % of females ages 15 and above2010: 64.6 % of females ages 15 and above2012: 62 % of females ages 15 and above2014: 61.8 % of females ages 15 and above2016: 61 % of females ages 15 and above2021: 73.9 % of females ages 15 and above2023: 75.6 % of females ages 15 and above2024: 73.5 % of females ages 15 and above

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15 and above.

Analysis

The most recent figure for literacy rate, adult female in Uganda is 73.5%, measured in 2024.

That represents a change of down 2.8% on the previous year and up 18.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in Uganda peaked at 75.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 44.8%, in 1991.

Uganda ranks 60th of 89 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.

Literacy rate, adult female in Uganda, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, adult female (% of females ages 15 and above) in Uganda, 1991 to 2024.
Year % of females ages 15 and above Change
1991 44.8%
2002 58.9% +31.4%
2006 62.1% +5.4%
2010 64.6% +4.0%
2012 62.0% -4.1%
2014 61.8% -0.2%
2016 61.0% -1.4%
2021 73.9% +21.2%
2023 75.6% +2.2%
2024 73.5% -2.8%

Uganda compared with similar countries

  • Uganda's 73.5% is above the median for low income countries, which is 50.0%, 1.5× the median. (13 countries reporting)
  • Uganda's 73.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 63.2%, 1.2× the median. (28 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 44.8% 44.8% 44.8% 1
2000s 60.5% 58.9% 62.1% 2
2010s 62.4% 61.0% 64.6% 4
2020s 74.3% 73.5% 75.6% 3

Countries ranked near Uganda

  1. 57 Rwanda 76.7% compare
  2. 58 Bangladesh 76.5% compare
  3. 59 Algeria 74.2% compare
  4. 61 Egypt 73.3% compare
  5. 62 Tanzania 73.1% compare
  6. 63 Ghana 72.1% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More gender data for Uganda

All data for Uganda →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, adult female in Uganda?
Literacy rate, adult female in Uganda was 73.5% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Uganda?
The highest recorded value was 75.6% in 2023.
What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Uganda?
The lowest recorded value was 44.8% in 1991.
How does Uganda rank for literacy rate, adult female?
Uganda ranks 60th out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in Uganda?
Over the last ten years it is up 18.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Uganda data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, adult female (% of females ages 15 and above). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, adult female in Uganda. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-adult-female-percent-of-females-ages-15-and-above/uganda/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, adult female (% of females ages 15 and above)
Unit
% of females ages 15 and above
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
128 places, 2,600 data points, 1973–2024
Last refreshed

Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.